Polymer self‐assembly in solution prior to film fabrication makes solution‐state structures critical for their solid‐state packing and optoelectronic properties. However, unraveling the ...solution‐state supramolecular structures is challenging, not to mention establishing a clear relationship between the solution‐state structure and the charge‐transport properties in field‐effect transistors. Here, for the first time, it is revealed that the thin‐film morphology of a conjugated polymer inherits the features of its solution‐state supramolecular structures. A “solution‐state supramolecular structure control” strategy is proposed to increase the electron mobility of a benzodifurandione‐based oligo(p‐phenylene vinylene) (BDOPV)‐based polymer. It is shown that the solution‐state structures of the BDOPV‐based conjugated polymer can be tuned such that it forms a 1D rod‐like structure in good solvent and a 2D lamellar structure in poor solvent. By tuning the solution‐state structure, films with high crystallinity and good interdomain connectivity are obtained. The electron mobility significantly increases from the original value of 1.8 to 3.2 cm2 V−1 s−1. This work demonstrates that “solution‐state supramolecular structure” control is critical for understanding and optimization of the thin‐film morphology and charge‐transport properties of conjugated polymers.
A supramolecular self‐assembly strategy is used to control the solution‐state structure of a conjugated polymer. It is revealed that the thin‐film morphology of the conjugated polymer inherits the features of their solution‐state supramolecular structures. Through “solution‐state supramolecular structure control”, the electron mobility of the polymer is boosted to 3.2 cm2 V−1 s−1, nearly doubling the original performance.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive cancers presenting with high rates of invasion and metastasis, and unfavorable prognoses. The current study aims to investigate whether ...EZH2/miR-139-5p axis affects epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in PC, and the mechanism how EZH2 regulates miR-139-5p. Human PC and adjacent normal tissues were collected to determine expression of EZH2 and miR-139-5p, and their relationship with clinicopathological features of PC. Human PC cell line was selected, and treated with miR-139-5p mimics/inhibitors, EZH2 vector or shEZH2 in order to validate the regulation of EZH2-mediated miR-139-5p in PC cells
Dual-luciferase report gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were employed to identify the relationship between miR-139-5p and EZH2. RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis were conducted to determine the expression of miR-139-5p, EZH2 and EMT-related markers and ZEB1/2. Tumor formation ability and
cell activity were also analyzed. Highly-expressed EZH2 and poorly-expressed miR-139-5p were detected in PC tissues, and miR-139-5p and EZH2 expressions were associated with patients at Stage III/IV, with LNM and highly-differentiated tumors. EZH2 suppressed the expression of miR-139-5p through up-regulating Histone 3 Lysine 27 Trimethylation (H3K27me3). EMT, cell proliferation, migration and invasion were impeded, and tumor formation and LNM were reduced in PC cells transfected with miR-139-5p mimics and shEZH2. MiR-139-5p transcription is inhibited by EZH2 through up-regulating H3K27me3, thereby down-regulation of EZH2 and up-regulation of miR-139-5p impede EMT and LNM in PC. In addition, the EZH2/miR-139-5p axis presents as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PC.
Transient stability and short-term voltage stability have successively attracted the attention of electric power industry. This paper proposes a novel systematic approach for dynamic VAR planning to ...improve short-term voltage stability level and transient stability level. The dynamic VAR planning problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization (MOO) model with objectives including investment cost, short-term voltage stability level, and transient stability level. To reduce the complexity of the proposed MOO model, K-means clustering-based severe contingencies selection and global sensitivity analysis-based potential buses selection are employed, leading to a simplified MOO model. The combination of a surrogate modeling technique called support vector regression and the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) are then used to solve the simplified MOO model, considering both the accuracy of models and the optimization computation cost. This combination makes it feasible to perform multiple runs of MOEAs for weakening the effect of the MOEA's randomness to optimal results and offering more diverse Pareto-optimal solutions for decision makers. Simulations are carried on the IEEE 39-bus system and a real power grid of China, illustrating that our methodology is reliable with high efficiency.
Background
The expression of follistatin‐like protein 1 (FSTL1) is closely associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system. However, despite being a well characterized inflammatory mediator, ...the effects of FSTL1 on chondrocytes are not completely understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of FSTL1 on the expression of inflammatory and catabolic factors in rat chondrocytes.
Methods
Rat chondrocytes were treated directly with various concentrations of FSTL1 in vitro. The levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2, interleukin (IL)‐1β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and IL‐6 were measured by polymerase chain reaction, ELISA and Western blotting. In addition, activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) pathway was explored to identify potential regulatory mechanisms.
Results
Follistatin‐like protein 1 directly increased the expression of MMP‐1, MMP‐13, iNOS, COX‐2, IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IL‐6 at both gene and protein level in a dose‐dependent manner. Activation of NF‐ κB and phosphorylation of p65 were also promoted by FSTL1 stimulation.
Conclusions
Follistatin‐like protein 1 exerts pro‐inflammatory and catabolic effects on cultured chondrocytes via activation of the NF‐κB signalling pathway. FSTL1 may therefore be a target in the treatment of OA.
Desktop three-dimensional (3D) printers (D3DPs) have become a popular tool for fabricating personalized consumer products, favored for low cost, easy operation, and other advantageous qualities. This ...study focused on the potential for using D3DPs to successfully, rapidly, and economically print customized implants at medical clinics. An experiment was conducted on a D3DP-printed anterior cruciate ligament surgical implant using a rabbit model. A well-defined, orthogonal, porous PLA screw-like scaffold was printed, then coated with hydroxyapatite (HA) to improve its osteoconductivity. As an internal fixation as well as an ideal cell delivery system, the osteogenic scaffold loaded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were evaluated through both in vitro and in vivo tests to observe bone-ligament healing via cell therapy. The MSCs suspended in Pluronic F-127 hydrogel on PLA/HA screw-like scaffold showed the highest cell proliferation and osteogenesis in vitro. In vivo assessment of rabbit anterior cruciate ligament models for 4 and 12 weeks showed that the PLA/HA screw-like scaffold loaded with MSCs suspended in Pluronic F-127 hydrogel exhibited significant bone ingrowth and bone-graft interface formation within the bone tunnel. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that fabricating surgical implants at the clinic (fab@clinic) with D3DPs can be feasible, effective, and economical.
Monitoring and controlling the freezing process and thermal properties of foods is an important means to understand and maintain product quality. Saccharides were used in this study to regulate the ...gelation of liquid egg yolks induced by freeze‒thawing; the selected saccharides included sucrose, L-arabinose, xylitol, trehalose, D-cellobiose, and xylooligosaccharides. The regulatory effects of saccharides on frozen egg yolks were investigated by characterizing their thermal and rheological properties and structural changes. The results showed that L-arabinose and xylitol were effective gelation regulators. After freeze‒thawing, the sugared egg yolks exhibited a lower consistency index and fewer rheological units than those without saccharides, indicating controlled gelation. Weaker aggregation of egg yolk proteins was confirmed by smaller aggregates observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and smaller particle sizes. Saccharides alleviated the freeze-induced conversion of α-helices to β-sheets in egg yolk proteins, exposing fewer Trp residues. Overall, L-arabinose showed the greatest improvement in regulating the gelation of egg yolks, followed by xylitol, which is correlated with its low molecular weight.
•An island soil index system was proposed to comprehensively represent the island soil condition.•Soil content, storage, and quality indices constitute the system and the latter two are composite ...indices.•Direct simulations of soil storage and quality indices improved accuracy and comprehensiveness of DSM.•Spatial pattern of soil condition presented high uniformity across the dual scales in Shengsi Archipelago.•A method for mapping soil integrated condition in archipelagos that contain remote islands was provided.
Comprehensively revealing the spatial pattern of soil condition is vital for exploring the evolution mechanism of island ecosystem and providing reference for ecological maintenance. However, it is difficult to meet the demands of comprehensiveness and accuracy in mapping the soil condition in an archipelago that contains remote islands. Such an archipelago, namely, Shengsi Archipelago off the Yangtze River Estuary, China, was selected as the study area. Field survey was conducted on part of islands that have relatively high accessibility in the archipelago, and remote sensing data that cover the entire study area was adopted. An island soil index system, including soil content, storage, and quality indices, was proposed to represent the island soil integrated condition. Soil content indices are original soil measured data, and soil storage and quality indices are composite indices that are determined based on soil content indices. Then, a predictor system based on remote sensing and the 10-fold cross-validation were used to conduct the spatial simulations of soil indices. The results validated that the combination of soil measured data sourced by field survey could respond more sensitively to remote sensing data and integrate with it better than the original soil measured data, thereby increasing the simulation accuracies of soil storage and quality indices to higher levels than the corresponding soil content indices and achieving the spatial exhibition of soil integrated condition. The spatial pattern of soil indices in Shengsi Archipelago indicated that islands or areas with good vegetation condition but low soil salinity, land surface aridity, and human interference generally had good soil integrated condition. Then, suggestions to improve the island soil integrated condition were proposed from perspectives of different essential components of the island ecosystem. The study has provided a practical method for comprehensively mapping the soil condition in areas with low accessibility.
Recent studies have acknowledged the critical roles played by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, the present study aimed to elucidate ...the mechanism underlying on how LINC01133 regulates the Wnt signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer. A microarray-based gene expression analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed lncRNAs in pancreatic cancer. In addition, ectopic expression assays, knockdown experiments and gene reporter assays were conducted to clarify the role of LINC01133 in pancreatic cancer and to understand the interaction between LINC01133 and the methylation of DKK1 promoter. The expression of LINC01133, DKK1, and other genes related to the Wnt signaling pathway was also measured. EDU staining, scratch test and Transwell assay were employed to measure the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells, respectively. GSE32676 and GSE16515 revealed that LINC01133 was upregulated in pancreatic cancer, which was also associated with increased DKK1 methylation and higher expression of genes related to the Wnt signaling pathway, although the expression of DKK1 decreased in pancreatic cancer. In addition, LINC01133 bound to the promoter region of DKK1, resulting in the trimethylation of H3K27 and decreased DKK1 expression, while the expression of Wnt-5a, MMP-7, and β-catenin increased upon LINC01133 binding. Finally, over-expressed LINC01133 enhanced the growth, proliferation, migration, metastasis, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. The present study clarified the distinct effect of LINC01133 on pancreatic cancer. In summary, by inducing the methylation of DKK1 promoter, LINC01133 silencing suppresses the development of pancreatic cancer cells through the Wnt signaling pathway.
To investigate the risk factors of pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with biliary tract diseases.
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of ...480 patients who underwent ERCP for biliary tract diseases at the Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University from October 2011 to October 2016. The patients were divided into a study group (n = 75, with PEP) and a control group (n = 405, without PEP) based on whether they developed post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), and their clinical baseline data and intraoperative conditions were retrieved and compared. Then, factors associated with PEP were analyzed using logistic regression model, based on which a nomogram prediction model was constructed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were used to evaluate the performance of the prediction model.
Significant differences in age, sex, history of pancreatitis, history of choledocholithiasis, pancreatic duct imaging, pancreatic sphincterotomy, difficult cannulation, multiple cannulation attempts and juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula were observed between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age less than 60 years (OR, 0.477; 95% CI, 0.26-0.855), female sex (OR, 2.162; 95% CI, 1.220-3.831), history of pancreatitis (OR, 2.567; 95% CI, 1.218-5.410), history of choledocholithiasis (OR, 2.062; 95% CI, 1.162-3.658), pancreatic sphincterotomy (OR, 2.387; 95% CI, 1.298-4.390), pancreatic duct imaging (OR, 4.429; 95% CI, 1.481-13.242), multiple cannulation attempts (OR, 2.327; 95% CI, 1.205-4.493), difficult cannulation (OR, 2.421; 95% CI, 1.143-5.128), and JPD (OR, 2.002; 95% CI, 1.125-3.564) were independent risk factors for PEP. The nomogram for predicting the occurrence of PEP demonstrated an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.787, and the calibration curves of the model showed good consistency between the predicted and actual probability of PEP.
Our results showed that age less than 60 years, female sex, history of pancreatitis, history of choledocholithiasis, pancreatic sphincterotomy, pancreatic duct imaging, multiple cannulation attempts, difficult cannulation and juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula were independent risk factors for PEP. In addition, the established nomogram demonstrated promising clinical efficacy in predicting PEP risk in patients who underwent ERCP for biliary tract diseases.
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